The 2014 engines will produce about the same amount of power as the current engines do. The difference is in how the engines actually produce that power – there will be more power from energy recovered via KERS and the exhaust manifold. Unlike the current specification of engines, I believe KERS will not be a button that the driver pushes, but fully integrated into the car and constantly being utilised (alternatively, if it is not KERS that is being constantly used, it will be the energy recovered from the exhaust).

I want to know what the actual power output will be from the motor itself.

But you need to know both because they will be integrated into one another. The engine itself will produce about 600bhp, but that figure is not representative of anything because the KERS system will be in constant use alongside the engine.

well, last time V6 1.5 liter turbos were racing around grand prix circuits they produced more than 1000 hp in qualifying. my guess is the figures for 2014-spec engines will be around 800 hp. i may be wrong though, because turbochargers will be more restricted than they were back in the days. but the technology went further since then as well.

If the FIA are aiming for 600bhp, you can bet the teams will find a way of producing 700bhp+ like they are now. With the KERS integrated as well the torque figure may well be higher and the cars might have even quicker mid range acceleration as they do now…

If KERS is used as a constant source of extra power for the engine it won’t be so bad. But if the 150 bhp it generates is used as KERS is now, then the basic cars will be slow, with a ridiculously exaggerated boost feature like star power in mariocart. I can accept KERS as it is now. But if the use of it remains the same, then overtaking may become a joke.

Also, is there any confirmation on whether DRS will be removed, or if it now a permanent feature of racing?

People keep posting about recovering energy from exhaust heat or the exhaust manifold. Somebody like to tell me how this is going to happen? Lets get rid of heat first, a steam turbine mounted on top of the engine might work in an industrial application but I think it could be a little inconvenient on a F1 car. The manifold? possibly a gas turbine (like the exhaust side of a turbocharger) could drive a generator I suppose but increased back-pressure,additional mass and increased complexity seem to make it unlikely to me. Anyone know anything about this.

Don’t forget that electric motors have way more torque than combustion engines. I think that with the turbo and the increased electric boost, there is a posibility that the whole power system for F1 cars in 2014 could be a bit faster than what we have now.

The acceleration boost from the bigger KERS will be much better than what we have now.